JP4228035B2 - Water extraction method and apparatus having a scraping function for extracting water from the atmosphere - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a water extraction method and a water extraction apparatus having a collection function for extracting water from the atmosphere, and in particular, a water extraction method having a collection function for efficiently extracting a large amount of water from atmospheric moisture and And a water extraction apparatus.

In the recent global environment, various abnormal weather has begun to appear, such as groundwater and river water volume reduction due to global warming, desertification, rain shortage or snow shortage, heat waves, and local floods. In addition, the ecosystem is beginning to be affected. The EU Environment Agency has announced that 75% of the Anoreps glacier in Switzerland will disappear in 2050.
In Japan, the average temperature has increased by 1 ° C over the past 100 years, and in urban areas where the heat island phenomenon is likely to occur, the temperature has increased by about 3 ° C, and many people suffer from heat stroke. Although it is possible to improve this problem by greening or watering the building roof, in order to secure the water resources necessary for them, the conventional method not only requires a lot of cost, but also a large amount of water resources themselves. There is a problem because it consumes.

The present invention provides means (method and apparatus) for obtaining water from moisture in the atmosphere without using conventional water resources.
The problem to be solved by the present invention is that a large amount of water can be extracted from atmospheric moisture. In addition, it is intended to provide means (methods, devices) that can be easily obtained by anyone at any time, anywhere, without the need for prior construction to obtain water, without affecting the natural environment. .
As a principle for extracting water from the atmosphere, there is a natural phenomenon in which moisture in the atmosphere aggregates on the surface of the substance by cooling the substance and water droplets are generated. An object of the present invention is to provide means (method and apparatus) for effectively applying this phenomenon to obtain a large amount of water from moisture in the atmosphere.
There are eight main components of the present invention. The eight components will be specifically described for each component.
The first element is a substrate for extracting water from the atmosphere. As this substrate, a material having good thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance is selected. Aluminum, steel alloys or stainless steel plates are preferred. Hereinafter, this plate is referred to as a “heat conduction plate”.
The second element increases the substantial surface area as a rough surface having as fine irregularities as possible on the surface of the heat conductive plate, and further improves the wettability by modifying the surface to a hydrophilic film.
The third element performs heat insulation on the back surface of the heat conducting plate to reduce loss due to the diffusion of cold air.
In the fourth element, the heat conduction plate is small and has a large surface area, for example, an elliptical tubular shape. The heat conductive plate formed in a tubular shape is hereinafter referred to as a “water generating device”.
The fifth element is a cooling device for cooling the water generating device. This cooling device is installed as close to the water generator as possible. Improves cold air propagation and reduces losses.
The sixth element will be described. In a dry area or the like, even if water aggregates on the surface of the water generating device, it immediately re-vaporizes, making it difficult to obtain a large amount of water. Wet water needs to be collected before re-vaporizing. When the thickness of the water adhering to the cooled hydrophilic coating surface increases, the heat insulation property of the water inhibits the growth of the water layer. Further, the surface area of the water film becomes flat due to surface tension and adhesiveness, which are physical properties of water, thereby reducing the actual surface area. When the thickness of water exceeds a certain level due to these phenomena, the effect of agglomerating moisture in the atmosphere into water is reduced.
Therefore, it is important to collect the water by scraping off the surface to which water has been attached with a slider such as a brush at an early timing. This means for scraping is the key to the present invention, and a device that performs this is called a “water collecting device”, and the water extraction device of the present invention is equipped with this water collecting device. On the other hand, if the surface to which water is attached is left unattended for a long time, dirt or mold will be generated or bacteria will be propagated, so it is necessary to scrape it off early. In addition, it is desirable that the water scraping device should be subjected to antibacterial treatment at all locations where water comes into contact.
In the seventh element, the amount of water extracted from the atmosphere is deeply related to the humidity and temperature of the atmosphere and the cooling temperature of the heat conducting plate. Control device to control other devices by constantly measuring the humidity and temperature of the atmosphere with humidity and temperature sensors and automatically calculating the optimum conditions for obtaining a large amount of water under given environmental conditions It is necessary to have The water scraping device and the cooling device are configured to operate in accordance with a command from the control device.
The eighth element will be described. The power source of each device is mainly a power generation device using natural energy, and can be operated even in a place without a commercial power source. Natural energy includes sunlight, wind power, wave power, geothermal heat, biotechnology, etc., and is mainly DC power. On the other hand, commercial AC power can be used in consideration of driving on the building rooftop, rainy weather, and night. Therefore, the control device has an AC / DC conversion function. Considering unstable supply of natural energy, the control device includes a power storage device.
The main components (means) constituting the device for extracting water from the atmosphere are as described above. In summary, the water generating device, the cooling device, the water collecting device, the control device, the power generator using natural energy, the power storage device, A humidity / temperature sensor and the like, and a housing for incorporating these components (devices) is added.
The raw material consumed by the apparatus according to the present invention will be described. The main raw materials are air and natural energy. Even if the moisture in the atmosphere that is the raw material is consumed, the ocean, which occupies about 70% of the earth's surface, reliably compensates for the humidity, so the relative humidity of the atmosphere on the entire earth remains constant and affects the global environment. There is nothing. It goes without saying that the main energy source uses sunlight, wind power, and the like, which is good for the environment.
By cooling the heat-conductive and corrosion-resistant plate with good wettability by applying a hydrophilic coating, the moisture in the atmosphere is condensed on the plate surface to efficiently generate adhering water and further adhere An apparatus for efficiently extracting a large amount of water from moisture in the atmosphere by scraping off the adhering water in the process of increasing the amount of water and in the state of a thin water film that is difficult to re-evaporate.
In addition, the board with the hydrophilic coating applied to the outer wall of the building is utilized by utilizing the heat of vaporization when the adhering water generated on the cooled board is re-vaporized and the synergistic effect of the cooled board. Provides a new cooling system for the whole building.
The water extraction apparatus according to the present invention is a means capable of obtaining a necessary amount of water simply by being installed. Aside from the existing power generation system using natural energy, infrastructure installation such as laying work and electric power work is hardly required, so the introduction cost is low.

FIG. 1 is an overview of an apparatus for extracting water from the atmosphere according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of an apparatus for extracting water from the atmosphere according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an apparatus for extracting water from the atmosphere according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a water generating apparatus that is an element of an apparatus for extracting water from the atmosphere according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the lower end portion of a water generating apparatus that is one element of an apparatus for extracting water from the atmosphere according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a control box that is an element of an apparatus for extracting water from the atmosphere according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram of an apparatus for extracting water from the atmosphere according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of an apparatus for extracting water from the atmosphere (hereinafter referred to as “water extraction apparatus”) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.
1 is a schematic view of an apparatus for extracting water from the atmosphere, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the water extracting apparatus, FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the water extracting apparatus, and FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the water generating apparatus. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the lower end of the water generating device, FIG. 6 is an overview of the control device, and FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram of the water extraction device.
Main components of the water extraction device A are a housing 10, a water generation device 30, a water collecting device 60, a cooling device 80, a control box 90, a control device 100, a power storage device 120, and the like. The commercial AC power supply 130, the solar power generation device 140, the wind power generation device 150, the refrigeration device 81, the power storage device 120, and the like for the input power supply system shown in FIG. 7 are commercially available products and will not be described in detail.
The water production | generation apparatus 30 is demonstrated with reference to FIG. The structure and form of the water generator 30 is a three-layer structure in which the inner wall has a hydrophilic coating surface 32 with a hydrophilic coating on the center of the heat conducting plate 31, and the outer wall has a heat insulating layer 33 intimately adhered, with open portions at both ends. 34 is an elliptical tubular structure.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the lower portion of the water generating device 30 forms an outlet 35 and is provided with a flow path 36. A plurality of through holes 37 are provided in the outflow port 35 and are formed by the same number of spacers 38, screws 399 and nuts 40 as the through holes 37. A cold air receiving port 41 for supplying cold air is provided on the upper surface of the water generating device 30. The cold air receiving port 41 is a place where a cold air terminal 85 for supplying cold air of a refrigeration apparatus 81 to be described later is temperature-connected.
Further, in order to measure the cooling temperature of the water generating device 30, a temperature sensor 43 is attached in close contact with the temperature sensor attaching portion 42 as shown in FIG. The corded plug 44 of the temperature sensor 43 is inserted into a temperature sensor outlet 112 provided on the side surface of the control box 90.
An outline specification of the water generator 30 of the present embodiment will be described. The heat conductive plate 31 is an aluminum plate, the hydrophilic coating surface 32 is vapor-deposited with titanium oxide having a photocatalytic effect, and the heat insulating layer 33 is welded with a resin plate. As for the wettability comparison between the titanium oxide film and the non-treated, the former is about 1.6 times or more better. The approximate dimensions of the water generator 30 are 0.6 meters wide, 3.0 meters long, 1.5 meters high, and the inner surface area is about 11.5 square meters.
Next, the structure of the housing | casing 10 used as the mounting stand of the water extraction apparatus A is demonstrated. The housing 10 includes a stainless steel roof plate 11, a curled portion 12 obtained by winding both ends of the roof plate 11, four pipe feet 13 fitted to the curled portion 12, a mounting table 14 that supports the pipe feet 13 at the lower end, Fasteners 15 and 16 for pinching and fixing the pipe foot 13 and the mounting base 14, and the anchoring base 14 is provided with a plurality of anchor holes 17 for fixing to the ground to be installed.
The external dimensions in the present embodiment are about 0.9 meters in width, about 3.5 meters in length, and about 2.9 meters in height, and are in the form of an elongated waist height. A space of about 90 centimeters or more is provided below the water generating device 30 so that it can be used in various ways.
The relationship between the water generator 30 and the housing 10 will be described. The water generating device 30 is fixed to the roof plate 11 of the housing 10 in a suspended state by a plurality of screws 40. The opening 34 of the water generator 30 fastens the two side plates 20 and the plurality of screws 21 by screw holes 54 formed in the heat insulating layer 33 of the water generator 30. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the lower end of the side plate 20 is bent outward to form a stage 22 for a control box 90 described later. As a reinforcement of the mounting table 22, the base 23 is fixed to the pipe foot 13 using screws 24.
The side plate 20 will be described. As described above, the net 26 is attached to the opening 25 that is wide open at the center of the two side plates 20 with the plurality of screws 27. The purpose of the large opening is to improve the circulation of the atmosphere. Light air that has been dehumidified is exhausted from above the opening 25, and humid heavy air enters from below. In this embodiment, the area of the opening 25 is about 1100 square centimeters when the net 26 is subtracted, and 6 km / h of air enters and exits the opening 25. It is desirable to provide a plurality of exhaust ports on the upper surface of the side plate 20 within an allowable range.
The cooling device 80 will be described. The cooling device 80 is used to cool the water generating device 30, and is an important device that can increase the amount of extracted water if the cooling temperature is high. The cooling device 80 includes a refrigeration device 81, a cooling box 82, a lid 83, a clamp 84, and the like. The installation place of the cooling device 80 is placed on the roof plate 11 of the housing 10, and is fastened together with the water generating device 30 by a plurality of screws 49, and a method of transmitting the cold air generated by the refrigeration device 81 to the water generating device 30. Is performed by bringing the cold air terminal 85 into close contact with the cold air receiving port 41 of the water generating device 30.
Since the refrigeration apparatus 81 may be an existing inexpensive refrigeration cycle apparatus for a refrigerator, a detailed description thereof is omitted. Since there is heat radiation due to heat exchange, a heat radiation port 86 is provided on the side surface of the cooling box 82 so as to prevent rainwater from entering. Power supply to the refrigeration apparatus 81 is provided by inserting a cord plug 88 through the outlet bush 87 into a refrigeration apparatus outlet 110 provided on the side surface of the control box 90. The cooling temperature in the embodiment of the water extraction apparatus A is 20 ° C., and the power consumption of the refrigeration apparatus 81 is about 1.2 kW.
The power for operating the entire apparatus including the cooling device 81 is 1.5 kW, and in order to obtain this from only the solar power generation device 140, it is 150 W per sheet in the case of a currently marketed solar cell module. About 10 sheets are required. For day and night operation, the number of modules is 20, and a power generation system with an electric capacity of about 3 kW is provided.
The amount of extracted water per day depends on the relative humidity of the atmosphere, and is about 240 liters at 75% relative humidity, about 190 liters at 60%, and about 100 liters at 30%. In order to obtain a larger amount of water, the area of the heat conduction plate 31 may be increased and the width of the cooling temperature may be increased.
The function of the water collecting device 60 will be described below with reference to FIGS. The water collecting device 60 is the most important device for obtaining a large amount of water. The time until the water on the hydrophilic coating surface 32 grows in an increased amount is about 60 minutes or less even under high humidity, and it remains attached without increasing even when waiting for a longer time. I can't get water.
The water scraping device 60 is a means for effectively utilizing the time zone during rapid growth by scraping before the growth of the thickness of the attached water on the hydrophilic coating surface 32 slows down. In this embodiment, the water thickness of the adhering water is about 0.2 mm, and the water collecting device 60 is operated in a state where it is difficult to vaporize due to the surface tension or adhesive force of water.
The configuration of the water collecting device 60 will be described. The main components will be described from the outside, such as one brush 65 serving as a slider, two belts 63, a pair of rotary cylinders 61 and 62, and one motor 67. This will be described in detail below.
First, the upper drive side rotating cylinder 61 will be described. A coupling 69, a rotating shaft 71, and a rotating cylinder 61 are connected by a fastener 70 to a motor 67 having a motor speed reduction gear portion 68. A bearing 73 is fitted to the rotating shaft 71, and the bearing 73 is fitted to a housing 74 welded to the side plate 20. The rotating shaft 71 and the rotating cylinder 61 are supported by two metals 75 and transmit the power of the motor 67 to the rotating cylinder 61. The motor 67 is operated by inserting a cord-attached plug 77 through a lead bush 76 into a motor outlet 109 provided on the side of the control box 90.
The operation of the rotary cylinder 61 does not require speed but requires rotational torque, and therefore the motor 67 includes a gear portion 68 for deceleration. The lower rotary cylinder 62 is the same as the upper rotary cylinder 61, and the bearing 73, the housing 74, the metal 75, and the like are the same, but the rotary shaft 72 is longer than the rotary shaft 71. Since the motor 67 and the gear part 68 utilize the existing commercial item, the detailed description is omitted.
The connection between the rotating cylinders 61 and 62 and the slider such as the brush 65 will be described. A pair of rotating cylinders 61 and 62 provided on the upper and lower sides are connected and rotated by the two belts 63. The belt 63 is hung on a belt hooking portion 64 of a concave groove provided in the rotary cylinders 61 and 62. The rotational power of the motor 67 is transmitted to the rotary cylinders 61 and 62 and rotates at the same speed. The brush base 66 is fixed to the belt 63, and the brush 65 is attached to the brush base 66 so that the brush 65 can be attached and detached. The attachment position of the brush 65 is the uppermost position in the center as shown in FIGS.
The operation of the brush 65 will be described below. The brush 65 located at the center uppermost part slides clockwise on the inner wall of the water generator 30 when an operation command is received, and temporarily stops at the center lowermost position. Immediately after the temporary stop, it returns to the original position through the same route and simultaneously slides counterclockwise to perform the same operation and then returns to the original position. A clockwise and counterclockwise operation is defined as one cycle.
The motor 67 is an inverter type and rotates forward and backward. The brush 65 scrapes off the water adhering to the hydrophilic coating surface 32 by one cycle operation and guides it to the flow path 36. An operation command to the motor 67 that drives the brush 65 is performed by a control device 100 described later that incorporates a program for maximizing the amount of extracted water.
The material of the brush 65 will be described. The brush 65 is made of an extremely fine mixture with abrasion resistance and restorability, and a fiber brush. As for the physical properties, it is important that the brush 65 itself has water repellency that does not get wet and has antibacterial properties that suppress the growth of bacteria and the like. As an example, a nylon brush containing a filler having the above-described characteristics and reducing the trouble of replacement and cleaning is used. In this embodiment, the brush 65 is used, but a sponge-like roll or a rubber plate may be used.
The contents of the control box 90 will be described with reference to FIG. The control box 90 is for housing the control device 100 and the power storage device 120. The configuration of the control box 90 is a safe box formed by a storage box 91, a lid 92, a hinge 93, a handle 94, a key hole 95, and the like. On the side surface of the control box 90, a power receiving port and a supply port for used power are provided. As the power receiving port, an AC outlet 114 that is a power receiving port of the commercial AC power supply 130, a solar power generation outlet 115 that is a power receiving port of the DC power from the solar power generation device 140, and a power reception port of the DC power from the wind power generation device 150. There is an outlet 116 for wind power generation. The reason why there are two DC outlets is that they can be used in consideration of the installation location and the seasonal fluctuation.
Subsequently, as the supply port, a motor outlet 109 for the motor 67, a refrigeration apparatus outlet 110 for the refrigeration apparatus 81, a temperature sensor outlet 112 for the temperature sensor 43, and a temperature and humidity meter outlet 113 for the thermohygrometer 117 are provided. There is. All the outlet groups are under the control of the control device 100.
The operation panel 101 of the control device 100 will be described. There are three ON-OFF switches of the water extraction device A. One is a switch for the power consumption side, which is an operation switch 102 for simultaneously turning on and off the motor 67 and the refrigeration apparatus 81. The second is two generators of natural energy, and is a DC switch 103 that turns on and off the power reception from the generators 140 and 150. The third is an AC switch 104 that turns on and off power reception from a commercial AC power source.
The function of the control device 100 will be described below. The control device 100 centrally manages all electrical devices and equipment. The command control content for each device is obtained by accumulating and monitoring information from each device and each device, and optimizing the operation of each device so that the amount of water extracted from the atmosphere is maximized under given environmental conditions. Maintain state. Hereinafter, the relationship between each device and the control device 100 will be described.
The amount of water extracted from the atmosphere is deeply related to the cooling temperature of the water generating device 60 by the refrigeration device 81 and the humidity and temperature of the atmosphere. The cooling temperature is integrated from the temperature sensor 43, the air temperature and the humidity are integrated from information from the thermohygrometer 117, information on the retained power from the power storage device 120, a specific constant of the water extraction device A, etc. The cycle timing of the strength and water scraping device 60 is automatically switched.
The refrigeration device 81 operates strongly or weakly when the amount of electric power currently stored in the power storage device 120 is larger than a preset reference value, weak operation near the reference value, weak operation near the reference value, and temporarily stops and enters a standby state below the reference value. . When the amount of power recovers, if the power supply source that returns to strong operation uses a commercial AC power supply, the AC power supply compensates for the shortage of DC power. When it is satisfied, the AC power supply is automatically shut off and DC power is used.
Regarding the operation control of the water collecting device 60, the water generation phenomenon and the concept will be described. The growth rate of the thickness of the wetting water on the hydrophilic coating surface 32 varies depending on the relative humidity of the atmosphere. On the other hand, the thickness of water that is difficult to re-evaporate once condensed water is more effective when the physical properties of water such as surface tension and adhesive strength are used, and 0.09 mm when the relative humidity of the atmosphere is 30%. 60% is 0.18 mm, and 90% is 0.27 mm.
Considering the above phenomenon, the operation of the water collecting device 60 is set to about 15 minutes per cycle. The amount of extracted water per minute in this example is about 66-200 cc, depending on the atmospheric humidity, and the amount of extracted water per cycle is about 1-3 liters. When the supply power is small, the operation is automatically switched to a saving operation in which one cycle is about 30 to 45 minutes. When power supply is restored, the time per cycle automatically returns to 15 minutes.
The control for the power consuming device and the supplying device will be described. The consuming device includes a refrigeration device 81, a motor 67, a control device 100 and a power storage device 120, a thermohygrometer 117, a temperature sensor 43, and the like. The supply side devices include the power generation devices 140 and 150 using natural energy. However, since the power supply may become unstable due to various factors, it is important to include the power storage device 120 that stores the generated power. The control device 100 constantly monitors and predicts the amount of power supplied and consumed, and commands each device to perform an optimal operation under given environmental conditions.
The control device 100 controls each device to operate optimally in order to maximize the amount of water extracted from the atmosphere under given environmental conditions. However, since a power supply source is required, the control device 100 has the following functions. . Measures such as regular operation when the amount of electricity stored in the power storage device 120 exceeds the consumption amount, a saving operation or temporary stop when the amount is almost the same as the consumption amount, and a stop when the amount is less than the consumption amount are taken. On the other hand, when the DC power is shared by the commercial AC power supply 130 and the natural energy power generation devices 140 and 150, normal operation is always continued, and the power is automatically switched to DC power when the amount of stored electricity is recovered. The control device 100 has an AC / DC conversion function.
In order to visually discriminate the operating state of the water extraction device A, the operation panel 101 of the control box 90 is provided with four-color indicator lamps. Further, a glass window 96 is provided on the lid 92 of the control box 90 so that the indicator lamp can be seen.
One is a blue light 105, and lighting of only the blue light 105 indicates a state in which a normal operation is performed using DC power. When the supply of DC power decreases, the operation is switched to the saving operation, and the blue light 105 blinks to indicate that the saving operation is being performed. Similarly, the blue light 105 blinks even when the DC power is insufficient, such as during the first operation. When the amount of power recovers, it switches to normal operation and returns from flashing to lighting to indicate that it is in normal operation. Switching between regular operation and saving operation is performed automatically.
The lighting of the second green lamp 106 indicates that commercial AC power is being input. When the supplied power is a combination of AC and DC, both the blue lamp 105 and the green lamp 106 are lit. When the supply of AC power is stopped due to a power failure or the like, the green lamp 106 blinks and returns to lighting when recovered.
The lighting of the third yellow light 107 indicates a temporary stop (standby). Turns on when supply of DC power necessary for operation is insufficient, and turns off when recovery is achieved. The state in which the blue light 105 continues to blink in the above-described saving operation continues, and when the amount of electric power becomes insufficient, the yellow light 107 is turned on and the blue light 105 is turned off. The blue lamp 105 and the yellow lamp 107 are display lamps dedicated to DC power.
The lighting of the fourth red light 108 indicates that some abnormality has occurred. When the red light 108, the blue light 105, and the green light 106 are turned on at the same time, it indicates that the vehicle is not operating in accordance with a command of the control device 100 programmed in advance. In this case, it is a display for urging to carry out inspection and repair. If the power supply is sufficient but the plug of each device is not properly plugged into the outlet, the red light 108 flashes. The blinking red light 108 alerts the user to do the correct preparatory work.
The flow path of extracted water and temporary water storage will be described. The water generated by the water generator 30 reaches the outlet 35 by the water collecting device 60 and is discharged below the flow path 36. The discharged water flows into the pipe 45 and is temporarily stored. As shown in FIG. 2, the dredge 45 is fastened together with a screw 39 and a nut 40 provided at the outlet 35 of the water generating device 30. The form of the soot tube 45 in the present embodiment is constituted by a tube having the same length as the water generating device 30 and a storage capacity of about 60 liters. It is 3.0 meters long and 16 centimeters in inside diameter. The width of the flow path 36 is narrow so that water does not re-vaporize. The width of the flow path 36 in this embodiment is adjusted by the length of the spacer 38 so that it becomes about 2-3 mm.
The water temporarily stored in the soot tube 45 is discharged from the discharge port 48 by loosening the valve 46 from the faucet 47 provided in the soot tube 45. Convenience is improved by providing a plurality of faucets 47. In this embodiment, a water tank 50 is installed under the faucet 47 as shown in FIGS. A water tank lid 51 is placed on the water tank 50, and a lid hole 52 is provided in the water tank lid 51. After the lid hole 52 is under the faucet 47, the valve 46 is loosened to obtain the water storage 53.
As an actual usage, a green watering on the building roof will be explained as an example. As this watering method is preferably unattended automatic watering, it is necessary to set a watering time and water pressure, so a solenoid valve, a time setting timer, a pump and a hose with a large number of micro holes closed Use each in combination with a hype. A spare outlet 111 is provided for power supply of these auxiliary devices. When the required watering time is set by a timer, the electromagnetic valve opens at that time and the pump is operated, and water is sprayed from the fine hole of the hose. As examples of use other than the above, there are many ships, mountain huts, etc. in addition to the dry zone.
Since the water extracted from the atmosphere is close to pure water, it is not a delicious drinking water as it is. It is possible to make delicious drinking water by including mineral ions such as calcium. In the tube 45, a food ore-based material that not only elutes calcium but also suppresses the growth of germs is introduced. Antibacterial treatment is applied to the inner wall of the soot tube 45. Examples of food ore include barley stone and the like, and commercially available ones are used.
The installation location of the water extraction device A is mainly outdoors, but if it is used indoors or in a basement with high humidity, it functions as a large-scale dehumidifier. In this case, it goes without saying that the installation locations of the natural energy power generation devices 140 and 150 serving as power sources are outdoors, but it is preferable to use the commercial AC power supply 130.
The operation of the water extraction device A will be described. For convenience of explanation, the installation location and the atmospheric environmental conditions are the rooftop of a building having a commercial AC power source, the main power generator uses a solar power generator 140, the temperature is normal temperature and the average relative humidity in Japan is 60%, and the purpose of use Will be explained as an example of watering green plants on the building roof as follows.
In preparation for operation, the plug 77 of the motor 67 is inserted into the motor outlet 109, and the plug 88 of the refrigeration apparatus 81 is inserted into the refrigeration apparatus outlet 110. Subsequently, the plug 44 of the temperature sensor 43 is inserted into the temperature sensor outlet 112, and the plug 118 of the thermohygrometer 117 is inserted into the humidity thermometer outlet 113. Next, when the DC supply puffer included in the solar power generation device 140 is inserted into the solar power generation outlet 115 and the AC power supply 130 on the building roof and the AC outlet 114 are separately connected with an extension cord, the preparation before operation is completed.
The operation of driving will be described. When a key is inserted into the key hole 95 of the lid 92 of the control box 90 and unlocked, and the handle 94 is pulled, the operation panel 101 appears as shown in FIG. A lid 92 is joined to the storage box 91 by a hinge 93. When the three switches of the operation switch 102, the DC switch 103, and the AC switch 104 provided on the upper surface of the operation panel 101 are turned on, the blue light 105 blinks or lights up and the green light 106 lights up to start operation.
Shortly after the hydrophilic coating surface 32 begins to get wet and 15 minutes have passed, the first cycle of the water collecting device 60 is activated, and the first extracted water from the atmosphere is sent into the tub 45 and stored. Commercial AC power is used only at the start and when the storage capacity is below the reference value, but when DC power from the power generation device 140 is stored in the storage device 120 above the reference value, the power used is automatically converted to DC power. Switch with, and repeat this.
When the water extraction device A is operated for a long period of time, the bush 65 is depleted, the amount of extracted water is reduced, and the red lamp 108 is lit. In this phenomenon, the control device 100 determines that the rotational torque of the motor 67 has decreased due to wear of the brush 65, and alerts the user. In this case, the brush 65 is replaced or the brush height is adjusted. The replacement frequency is set every two years as a guide.
On the other hand, if the water is not consumed, the red lamp 108 is turned on and the operation is automatically stopped. In this state, since water has accumulated in the water generating device 30, the control device 100 senses that the rotational torque of the motor 67 has increased beyond a specified value by adding a great resistance to the operation of the brush 65, and stops operation. The red lamp 108 blinks. This function stops water extraction when there is no demand for water. It should be noted that the amount of water reaching the overflow from the opening 25 is about 850 liters, which is about 3-8 days.
The greening area on the building roof that can be covered by the water extraction device A will be described. For example, if the amount of water required by the lawn is 0.5 liters per square meter per day and the average relative humidity of the atmosphere is 60%, the amount of extracted water will be about 190 liters per day, which can accommodate up to 380 square meters. In addition, when many water extraction devices A are installed in urban areas and the rooftop greening progresses, it can be expected to have an effect of lowering the average temperature as well as beautification.
When water is vaporized, the volume expands to about 600 times, so that it can take heat away from the surroundings and can be applied to cooling. Specifically, if the building is covered from the outside using the heat conducting plate 31 with the hydrophilic coating surface 32 and the refrigeration apparatus 81 is provided on the roof, the extracted water is re-vaporized and the heat conducting plate 31 is cooled. A new cooling method for the entire building can be proposed by the synergistic effect of Not only can the amount of electricity used for cooling be significantly reduced, but it also has the effect of suppressing local temperature rise. It is economical because the heat conductive plate 31 is used in place of the tiles on the outer wall of the building and the material may be aluminum or stainless steel which is often used for building materials.
As a modification as an expansion of the application, the size of the heat conduction plate 31 can be freely set, so that the amount of extracted water can be increased and decreased, a dehumidifier in a place with high humidity, an industrial processing device that requires moisture such as paper or cloth, There are snowmelt on the roof and road. In order to use for melting snow, the heat conduction plate 31 and the heat conduction rod are used. As a heat source, for example, by inserting a heat conducting rod into the ground or a well and using underground heat, a snow melting device using only natural energy and having a low running cost can be provided.
The underground temperature is 12-18 ° C throughout the year. This temperature is collected by a heat conduction rod and sent to the heat conduction plate to melt snow and ice, and the surface of the heat conduction plate gets wet, so that the snowfall is solved and shed. As the heat source, indoor humidity or temperature by a heating device may be used.
When the hydrophilic coating surface 32 of the water generating device 30 is a titanium oxide film surface, irradiation with ultraviolet rays not only decomposes and removes the dirt adhered by the photocatalytic action, but also suppresses the probability of bacteria. It is convenient for securing drinking water. Specific means for adopting the water extraction apparatus A can be achieved by installing an ultraviolet lamp at a position where the entire surface of the titanium oxide film can be irradiated and lighting it.

  The water extraction method and the water extraction apparatus of the present invention include a rooftop greening device, a cooling device for the entire building, a dehumidifier in a humid place, an industrial processing device requiring moisture such as paper and cloth, and snow melting on a roof or road. The present invention can be applied to an apparatus, a drinking water generating apparatus, and the like.

Claims (10)

Cooling a substrate with good thermal conductivity that has been coated with a hydrophilic coating to improve wettability, agglomerates atmospheric moisture onto the substrate, generates wet water, and adheres to the substrate to generate A process for extracting water from the atmosphere , wherein the wet water is collected in a thin water film state before saturation and in a thin water film state that is difficult to be re-vaporized. Water extraction method with collecting function. A water generator for aggregating moisture in the atmosphere to generate wet water, a cooling device for cooling the water generator, and a thin water film before the saturation in the process of increasing the amount of wet water attached to the water generator A water collecting device that scrapes and collects the wet water in a thin water film state that is difficult to re-evaporate, a power generation device that forms a power source for each device using natural energy, and measures the temperature and humidity of the atmosphere A water extraction device with a scraping function for extracting water from the atmosphere, comprising: a temperature / humidity sensor for controlling the device, and a control device for controlling the devices.   3. The water extraction device according to claim 2, wherein the water generation device has a tubular form, the inner wall is provided with a hydrophilic coating, the outer wall is provided with a heat insulating material, and the lower portion is provided with an outlet. Water extraction device with scraping function to extract.   The water extraction device according to claim 2, wherein the water collecting device is installed in a space of the water generating device, the water collecting device has a slider, and the slider is placed on an inner wall of the water generating device. A water extraction device with a scraping function for extracting water from the atmosphere, wherein the water extraction device is configured to slide while contacting and scrape off water adhering to the inner wall of the aquatic device. The water extraction device of claim 2,
The outlet of the water generating device is provided with a pipe for temporarily storing water, the pipe is provided with a plurality of faucets, an antibacterial treatment is applied to the inner wall of the pipe, and the inside of the pipe is A water extraction device with a scraping function for extracting water from the atmosphere, characterized by introducing natural ore.   5. The water extraction device according to claim 4, wherein the slider of the water scraping device uses a soft material having water repellency and antibacterial properties, and has a brush or spatula shape. Water extraction device with scraping function to extract.   3. The water extraction apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the power generation apparatus is configured mainly with a power source including a power storage device using natural energy such as solar and wind power, and can be used together with a commercial AC power source as auxiliary power. A water extraction device with a scraping function for extracting water from the atmosphere.   3. The water extraction device according to claim 2, wherein the control device has a monitoring function and an integration function such as the temperature and humidity of the atmosphere, the cooling temperature of the water generation device, and the amount of power of the power generation device and the power storage device. Water with a collection function for extracting water from the atmosphere, characterized in that the cooling device and the operation of the water collection device are controlled so that the amount of water to be extracted becomes the maximum amount in a given environment. Extraction device.   2. The water extraction method according to claim 1, wherein the base material provided with a hydrophilic coating is composed of a heat conductive plate, laid on a building outer wall, and the water generated by cooling the heat conductive plate is vaporized. Extraction method with water collecting function for extracting water from the atmosphere, characterized in that it is used as a cooling device for the entire building applying the phenomenon of taking away a large amount of heat.   In the water extraction method of Claim 1, the said base material which gave the hydrophilic film is comprised with a heat conductive board, and it uses together with underground heat etc. taking advantage of the favorable wettability and heat conductivity of the said heat conductive board. A water extraction method with a scraping function for extracting water from the atmosphere, characterized by being used as a snow melting device.

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